THE AUTHOR'S FIRST VISIT TO DROUGHSBURN. 389 



" But that's no a', 5 ' he said, after we had finished looking 

 at these two volumes. He then lifted some other books 

 from the chest, till he came to a larger parcel, which he 

 delivered into my hands, with animated countenance, saying, 

 " Look there noo, and see fat's there ! " We had no 

 notion of what was within, but John's proud bearing and 

 beaming countenance raised our expectations. 



I unloosed the string that bound it, unwrapped the 

 paper, and found a similar string and wrapper inside. This 

 I untied and uncovered, and again a third string and 

 wrapper appeared. Once more untying and unfolding, I 

 only exposed a similar protection within. " Dear me, John ! " 

 exclaimed I, " what have you here ? Is it your silver plate, 

 or a grand presentation, or what is it ? " " Oo, just gang on," 

 replied John, " and ye'll ken in due time ! " He evidently 

 enjoyed the lengthened process of revealing the mystery, 

 and chuckled to himself with a growing humorous glee. 

 After the fifth cord and wrapper had been removed, there 

 was revealed a book ! It was manifestly a favourite 

 with John, and must enclose something better and rarer 

 than we had yet seen. And it did. It was a collection of 

 the Cryptogamia of the district, the obscure mosses and 

 their allies, one of the hardest sections of the botanical field 

 for any one to decipher, however expert and skilful. 



As our Galloway friend remarked, the book was 

 certainly well named Cryptogamia, for it was hidden as in a 

 crypt, fold within fold, and buried under many a tome deep 

 down in the bottom of a chest ! John enjoyed the joke 

 with evident relish, and still more our spontaneous and 

 unrestrained expressions of surprise when we opened the 

 -volume and saw what it contained. It was a victory to 



